Do you want your business to be at the forefront of innovation? If yes, then you need to ensure that creativity flows through your workplace.
While it can be all too easy to become preoccupied with the day-to-day running of your business, a failure to promote creativity and innovative thinking can see you falling behind your competitors.
If you are not sure where to start when it comes to encouraging creativity in the workplace, then the below blog is just what you need.
From investing in digital management asset software to encouraging collaboration between different departments, keep reading to discover seven top tips for increasing creativity within your business.
What is Creativity, and why is it important?
Before looking into how you can encourage creativity in your workplace, it can be a good idea to first look at what creativity is and why it is so important.
In its simplest form, creativity is the process of taking an innovative or imaginative idea and turning it into something tangible. To be creative, you need to practice lateral thinking, which means looking at things from different perspectives and developing solutions in unique ways.
Creativity has never been more important in today’s highly competitive business world as, without it, you cannot hope to stand out from the crowd and attract more customers.
Furthermore, if you are failing to encourage an environment in which employees can be creative, they are likely to feel stifled and frustrated, which may result in them seeking out new employment opportunities.
How to increase creativity in your workplace
-
Be clear about the company’s goals
How can you expect your employees to come up with the right ideas to grow your business if they don’t know what your goals are?
Of course, you can’t, which is why you need to make sure that you communicate your company’s vision for the future with all of your employees.
It can also be a good idea to remind your staff of your company’s mission statement so that they can keep your core values at the forefront of their minds.
-
Seek out new talent
While loyal staff are incremental in keeping your business going, if you want to experience growth, it can be beneficial to inject some new blood into the company once in a while.
More specifically, you should focus on creating a diverse workforce with employees from multiple backgrounds, as this will bring new perspectives to your business.
Companies that only hire people from the same educational and cultural backgrounds often find that their ideas stagnate or that they always generate similar solutions. However, by hiring a more diverse workforce, you can enjoy fresh and original ideas that will keep your business relevant.
-
Utilize new software
There are several tools available that are designed to help foster communication in the workplace and encourage innovation. One of these is digital asset management (DAM) software.
This software provides many benefits, including the automation of menial tasks, which can free up your employees’ time to come up with creative ideas. It can also be used to streamline creative workflows and facilitate collaboration between different departments.
-
Offer remote working
Although some business owners are terrified of remote working and couldn’t want to get their employees back in the office once restrictions had been lifted, this new way of working can unlock whole new levels of creativity in your employees.
Think about it this way. For some people, an office environment is simply not where they thrive. They don’t like being micro-managed, and they feel stifled by endless meetings.
For these people, working from home can make them more productive, efficient, and creative.
Of course, this isn’t the case for everyone, but it is worthwhile offering your employees remote working to see who would like to work in this way.
-
Publicly praise employees
If someone has had a good idea and it has led to a positive outcome for your business, then make sure everyone knows about it. Even if you do not have the budget to offer them a monetary award, you may be surprised at just how effective a little bit of public praise can be.
Not only will this keep your employees motivated, but it will also encourage them to share their thoughts and ideas with you.
For shyer employees, you may decide to personally commend them away from the rest of the office.
-
Offer training
If your employees do not feel supported in their career development, then they are a lot less likely to spend time generating creative ideas for your business. Fortunately, there are many ways to support your team’s future, including offering regular training. Ongoing training can help your employees understand what is required of them and make them feel more valued, which in turn should make them feel more invested in the company.
Whether you have invested in a new piece of tech or you have recently developed a new product, making sure your employees receive the necessary training to be able to carry out their job to the best of their abilities is vital if you want your business to thrive.
-
Provide a conducive atmosphere
What are your meeting rooms like? Are the walls white and the carpets grey? While this may not seem overly important, if you want to spark creativity, you need to be providing your employees with a stimulating environment to brainstorm in.
Think about the colors in the room, the sounds, and even the textures. There is a reason why Google HQ is so bright and vibrant; they aim to encourage innovation throughout their entire building.
It is also important that your brainstorming area is away from the hustle and bustle of the office, as any distraction can hinder the creative process. That doesn’t mean that silence is needed, but comfort most definitely is.
Conclusion
If you are concerned that the above seems like a lot of work, then you’re right; it is. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t worthwhile.
Whether you are a small start-up trying to gain recognition in your industry or you are an established brand that wants to remain dominant, creativity is the cornerstone of any successful business.
